Nev Schulman

A charismatic artist, Nev Schulman became a popular media personality and the face of an Internet-age dating phenomenon for his work on "Catfish. " Born Sept. 26, 1984 in New York City, Yaniv "Nev" Sc...
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Catfish: The TV Show grabbed hold of America's attention when it premiered in November, even coining a new term in the lexicon and sneaking into national news (remember Manti Te'o?). It was clear after only a few episodes that creators and stars Nev Shulman, Max Joseph, and MTV had a phenomenon on their hands. And as such, fans were rabid with anticipation for the show's second season, which debuted Tuesday night.
Season 2's premiere made it clear that for its sophomore season, Catfish will be sticking to its tried-and-true formula. If you've watched the show, you know the schtick by now: Nev receives an email asking for help, he and silver fox Max go to meet the troubled young cyber-lover, and then they all spend some quality time with Google getting to the bottom of the cyber-lover's cyber-soulmate's identity. In the show's second act, the whole gang goes to the home of the cyber-soulmate (aka: the Catfish) where they are greeted by a huge surprise. And the surprise happens each and every episode, with only a slight variation.
Catfish is unique in that its success — and its fandom — hinges on the fact that it sticks to this formula. We tune in each week because we know we will meet a naive victim who has fallen prey to a wily, more Internet savvy adversary with a "broken webcam." And, 45 minutes later, we know that we will be introduced to the Catfish, who is either: a) A friend of the victim, b) Overweight and embarrassed about it, or C) A conniving enemy of the victim who wants to "teach them a lesson" (these are the best episodes because there is usually a lot of yelling). I don't think there has been a single episode where the mystery lover really was who they claimed to me.
Tuesday night's premiere was no exception. Our heroine was Cassie, a college student from Miami who "hit rock bottom" after her father was killed in Haiti the year before. She found solace, and an unexpected romance, in Steve, an aspiring hip-hop artist and producer she met on Facebook. After months of exchanging lovey-dovey texts and engaging in phone sex, Cassie proposed to Steve, and he said yes. Now she just needed Nev and Max's help to meet her fiance.
Nev and Max arrive in Miami and immediately get to work digging up dirt on "Steve." After a Google image search — their favorite method of sleuthing — the two discover that the photos Cassie has of Steve were lifted from the Facebook fan page of a model. Cassie, of course, is devastated. Things got worse for Cassie, though, when it was revealed that Steve's demo songs actually belonged to the cousin of Cassie's best friend Gladys. In a Catfish first, it looked like Nev and Max had discovered the Catfish before they actually showed up at his house.
Was Tony (Gladys' cousin) the perp? Sort of. In the huge surprise ending Catfish watchers have become accustomed to, it is revealed that it is Gladys herself who created Steve's Facebook profile. And it was Gladys, with a second white iPhone, who had been texting with Cassie all this time. But it was Tony who participated in sexually explicit phone conversations with Cassie. While Gladys claims she did it to help Cassie, to get her to stop drinking and hooking up with random men, it is clear to the viewer — and to Cassie herself — that Gladys crossed a line. Cassie uses the word "violated" to describe how she feels by the deception and she couldn't be more right. Can you be phone raped? If so, Cassie should seek legal counsel immediately.
But aside from Nev and Max's unprecedented (on the show) detective work, the premiere was Catfish as usual. But thank goodness for that. The show is designed to build anticipation until that final reveal: from the very start, the viewer can feel that something is not right, and they know — from watching before — that an investigation will prove that assumption correct. The formula builds suspense until the final knock on the door, where all is revealed. And before you know it, you're caught — hook, line, and sinker.
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Catfish: The Reunion Show host SuChin Pak got to the hard stuff right off the bat when MTV rounded up the subjects and hosts from your favorite addicting reality series about online relationships for an update following the Season 1 finale.
Her very first question for everyone's favorite BFFs/Internet dating experts Nev Schulman and Max Joseph: Are you guys a couple? Nev and Max, always game to poke fun at their own expense, copped to their coupledom, but not in the way you wanted. They're a couple of filmmakers. Get it?!
They also chatted about Manti Te'o and the Saturday Night Live spoof of their show (not enough chest hair, say Nev and Max) before getting to the good stuff: catching up with our favorite couples and seeing what happened after they met face to face.
RELATED: Is 'Catfish' Catfishing America?
Let's go through them one by one:
Sunny and Chelsea: These two sat very far away from each other, and though Chelsea looked noticeably happier and more comfortable in her skin, Sunny seemed just as angry as she was when she finally met "Jamison" face to face. Over the year and a half since their episode was filmed, Chelsea became comfortable with her sexuality and started working with bullied kids online, while Sunny got made fun of by her sister and seemed to hold a grudge.
Jasmine and Mhissy: The animosity between the girls was palpable. Not only did they sit far away from each other, Nev and Max acted as human barriers between them. Jasmine was still clearly extremely upset at the situation, and said a proper apology from Mhissy wouldn't change anything. Things got so heated that Max, ever the voice of reason, had to step in with a "Mhissy, chill out." As exciting as it was to see them reunited, it's clear Jasmine and Mhissy should never be in the same room together again.
RELATED: Why 'Catfish' is the New 'Jersey Shore' (Thanks to Manti Te'o)
Trina and Lee: In a somewhat happy ending, Trina and Lee have remained friends and speak every now and then — not every day like they once did, though. MTV got the real Scorpio on the phone to flirt with Trina before she told everyone that she's filming her own reality show for all her "fans" to see what her life is like. She was engaging, but does she really have so many fans? It's unclear what the reality show will document or what it's for, but there you go.
Joe and Rose: This was one of the craziest stories, and it's clear there's more to it than what we've seen. Rose revealed that she was actually catfished herself when she was younger, and was angry that Joe came off as a country bumpkin on the show when she insisted he wasn't. She didn't elaborate any further, though, only angrily informed everyone that Joe was arrested after filming, although for something unrelated to Catfish.
Matt and Kim: Thankfully, we ended on a happy note. Matt and Kim are still BFFs who talk daily, and they're both in committed romantic relationships ... with other people. Matt has lost 200 pounds since the show. At least we had one legitimately happy ending!
RELATED: 'Catfish' Season 1 Finale Recap
James and Rico caught up with Nev and Max via Skype to crush our hearts and tell us that they're not dating anymore. They're still really good friends, though, and talk frequently — even about the dudes they are dating. Hooray? Jarrod and Melissa also did a Skype check-in, and informed us that they're still friends too. It was kind of heartwarming, really, to hear them talk about their friendship. Bonus: Jarrod's band is getting way more gigs because of the Catfish thing.
Noticeably absent: Kaya and Dani, Rod and Ebony, and to a lesser extent, Tyler and Aaron and Mike and Felicia. Why weren't they there, or at least why didn't they Skype in? Kaya and Dani had one of the first legitimately shocking episodes that ended better than anyone could've expected. It would've been nice to know if they're still together, or at least friends.
What did you think of the Catfish reunion? Will you tune in for Season 2? Are you surprised that some people are still friends and some aren't?
Follow Jean on Twitter @hijean
[PHOTO CREDIT: MTV]
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The first rule of the Internet: Don't believe everything you read/hear/see. Case in point: the perma-confusing tale of Manti Te'o and his fake Internet girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, a.k.a. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. If that tale taught us anything, it's that there's a tangled web living deep within the World Wide one.
And MTV has stepped into that web for the network's newest reality phenomenon, Catfish. But the series is not quite as simple as the show’s intro may have you believe. Airing its finale Monday night, the series revolves around Internet romances never realized IRL ("in real life" for all you n00bs out there), where one — or sometimes both — of the participants are not being honest about themselves.
The idea for the show is brilliant: telling the story of these online deceptions sheds new light on the ever-changing world of interpersonal relationships in the digital age. The network uses these stories of people meeting online under a guise of dishonesty (often using fake Facebook profiles) called catfishing — a term made famous thanks to host Nev Schulman's breakout 2010 documentary, Catfish. (In the context of the show, to "catfish" means to "hook" someone through a series of online deceptions.) Alongside his friend and filmmaker Max Joseph, Schulman sets out weekly to unite two people in online relationships who might not be telling the truth about their identity. But the lens though which the show views these people’s lives may not be exactly truthful itself.
"You know how they said that [the catfishee] had reached out to them?" a cast member from the series (whom we spoke to anonymously to protect their relationship with MTV) tells Hollywood.com. "I don’t know why they put that in there because it’s not even true. It was actually me that reached out to them."
Another cast member (this time a catfishee), felt betrayed by an episode and put it plainly: "Really, I'm just frustrated that people don't know the whole story."
RELATED: MTV Renews ‘Catfish': If You’re Not Watching, You’ve Made a Huge Mistake
So what is the whole story? MTV's version plays out like this: Two individuals involved in an online, romantic relationship meet. The show chronicles the discovery of who the catfisher is in real life. The story is always told from the point-of-view of an innocent catfishee unsure about the authenticity of the person behind the screen. Each episode starts with an email from the catfishee to Schulman, followed by the story of the relationship, an uncovering of truths, and the inevitable in-person meet-up.
Seems straight-forward, but as Catfish has taught us, not everything is as it seems.
NEXT: What IS The Whole Story?
Speaking with local news outlet WHAM ABC, catfishee Joe Sumeriski of Warsaw, New York corroborated a story many cast members have claimed: that he does not know how MTV and Catfish became aware of his Internet relationship. “They just called me out of the blue,” he explained. Sumeriski was right — Hollywood.com has confirmed his catfisher, Rose, was the one who contacted MTV.
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In fact, after speaking with six of the stars of this season (covering six episodes of the series), we found that in every instance except one, the catfisher — not the catfishee, as the series claims — has been the one to contact MTV first. Either via a casting call, Craigslist post, or a mention on the MTV website itself, the catfisher has consistently been the one to initiate the process. One catfishee from the South says she and her catfisher hadn't had contact for "a couple months" — until Catfish's producers showed interest. "We dropped off [talking] for a couple months and then we got it started again … when someone reached out to MTV about me and [the catfisher’s online identity] talking," she says. "[MTV producers] hit me up, but I didn’t reach out to them because I didn’t know anything about a new show."
Of course, it's natural to expect some editing changes in any reality series. The Hills, Real Housewives, Jersey Shore — reality series are so dependent on scripting drama, audiences no longer accept TV's reality as reality anymore. But Catfish, with its documentary background and style, seemed different. "If it is true that the scenarios on Catfish are fabricated, then it definitely would take the enjoyment out of watching the show," says Galen Criscione of Brooklyn, New York. In fact, Criscione admits that he "wouldn't watch it anymore" and that he "would feel kind of like the people portrayed on the show — fooled."
There are, of course, truthful elements to the show. Every Catfish subject told us the series' hosts, Schulman and Joseph, are indeed kept in the dark about the true identities of the catfishers. Their Internet research into these people’s lives are, apparently, all authentic. But the crux on which the show is balanced — the initial contact between Schulman and the catfisher — is in fact a fabrication. Everyone involved has already agreed to an in-person meet up before production begins.
Naturally, this complicates how viewers watch the show. If the two parties have long agreed to meet in person, Schulman's random selection of a catfishee by scrolling through his email no longer seems random. And his dramatic phone call to the catfisher suddenly isn't so dramatic. Is the catfisher genuinely surprised when Schulman requests a meet-up on-camera? "Not really," says one catfisher. "Because they told me they were going to do it before they actually did it."
But there are more discrepancies. Several cast members say the timing of their stories were off, with one claiming the show represented her relationship as lasting one month, when she was really communicating with her online love interest for three months at the time of filming. And two interview subjects denied their relationships were ever romantic at all. One cast member says she set up a profile to punish a catfishee for a past disagreement and only claimed to be interested in him to save face after yelling at him on camera. (Those scenes, she claims, hit the cutting room floor.) "The only reason why I said that I had feelings for him was because I knew I had put him on blast twice already [on camera], so I didn’t want to come across as a b***h," she says.
And another female catfisher says she knew her catfishee was not interested in a relationship with a woman, despite the fact that the series portrayed the duo as a couple with romantic interests. According to the cast member, she always knew her co-star "to be gay," but that once "the show started, he got scared and backtracked," resulting in an all-too-confusing conclusion of events that raised more questions than answers. (MTV — where I was an employee from November 2008 until May 2011 — declined to comment for this piece.)
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Everyone knows that real life is far more complicated than the smooth, glossy lines created by entertainment mediums. And for the most part, that necessity can be forgiven — it's the nature of the beast. But sometimes, what gets left on the cutting room floor can change the entire tone, nature, and experience of a show for the viewer. Obviously, the production needs to cover itself — getting cast members to sign contracts to agree to be on camera is not always a quick and easy task. But does it take away from the tension and suspense built up around the will they/won’t they factor of the inevitable meet-ups? Or is it all just part of the necessary evils of TV production?
"Manufacturing a storyline is a disappointing reality of where reality TV has headed, unfortunately," MTV alum, and Road Rules: Campus Crawl participant Sarah Greyson, says. That said, "story editors can only be as truthful to a story as the people they're attempting to represent. So many people watch reality shows now. They manufacture their personalities in ways that might deem them 'castable.'"
Many fans of the show are naturally suspicious. One Catfish viewer, Rachel Turnpaugh of Memphis, Tenn., enjoys the show but has always been skeptical of its origins. "It’s more or less obvious that it’s just baiting," she says. "It always ends up being the worst-case scenario anyway." But would Turnpaugh still watch the series knowing there are editing changes? "Absolutely."
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Even though the Internet has taught us — and reality TV has proven — that not all is as it seems, viewers can still enjoy even the most unreal aspects of reality television. After all, we've become a smarter and more skeptical audience since the genre reared its head in the early 1990s. Greyson says those watching reality television from home should expect to see an alternate version of reality. "Everyone has experiences that force them to understand that everything isn't always as it seems," she says. "That's reality television in a nutshell, and everyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past 20 years understands that's what they've signed up for."
Speaking at the August 2012 Television Critics Association event, Schulman told attendees that "whether or not two people are totally lying to each other and it turns out to be a huge disaster, that's only the first part of the story." Instead, there are more interesting sides to every story, perhaps enough to forgive the series for any necessary editing fabrications: "We then want to know why they are doing it, who they are, what they are feeling, what led them to this place, and why that resonates with thousands of other young people who have the same feelings, who don't have someone to talk to or don't know how to express themselves."
Still, does MTV have a responsibility to air that whole truth?
NEXT: Is It Responsible? Does It Matter?
One catfishee says the cast member who catfished him is now reciving a lot of "hate mail" from fans online after the series failed to dive into the catfisher's true psychological justification for creating a fake profile. If MTV told "the whole story" by including unaired discussions about the catfisher's background, viewers would be more sympathetic. "A lot of our conversation would’ve shown that she had an excuse; she had reasons why she did this," the catfishee tells us. "And it hurts me that people call [the catfisher] names and don’t understand the reasons. She had reasons. [The catfisher]’s had a tough life.”
Dr. Tamyra Pierce, a professor and Director of Social Media and Integrated Marketing at California State University in Fresno, says misrepresentation of the facts could easily lead to cyberbullying, especially when Catfish's subjects are emotionally and psychologically vulnerable enough to set up a fake profile in the first place. "How are they going to take it when things aren’t portrayed the right way?" she says. "I would use a lot of caution."
But several catfishers from the show hope that their own experiences will give other young adults the confidence to just live and exist as they are, as the vast majority of them cite real-life insecurities and bullying as a reason they turned to online relationships — to fill a void. And perhaps this show's greater message is one of trying to be more authentic. Hey — it seems to be working for MTV, at least. After a decade of highly-scripted reality programming such as The Hills or even Jersey Shore, most welcome Catfish as a welcome change, heading in the right direction. "I think it's the most authentic thing MTV's had out in a long time," says Greyson, and it seems many fans agree. Cory Hutzell from Seattle, Wash., explained that he doesn't "watch it to see love or happiness. I like watching it to see why someone would lie for years and the reaction of the people when they meet."
But the question remains: Is it MTV's responsibility to tell the stories as they are, or to tell an entertaining story that fits into 44 minutes of television? Only time will tell. Or perhaps, its second season.
[Photo Credit: Facebook; iStockphoto (3)]
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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If you're starting a relationship on the Internet, it's pretty much guaranteed there will be at least one lie involved. Of course, the spectrum of those lies can vary — using an older, 15 pounds lighter photo is a little more acceptable than making up an entire persona. But what if those lies fall somewhere in the middle? A different job isn't quite as bad as using someone else's pictures and a fake name.When Mike finally met Felicia in the Season 1 finale of MTV's Catfish(on a porch somewhere in the South, obviously), the mystery wasn't quite as exciting as previous episodes. Nev and Max had found out that Felicia was almost who she claimed to be, she was just lying about a few small — but key — facts.
But despite the fact that Mike knew he was flying to another state to meet a person who had lied to him, he was still incredibly excited to meet Felicia. He was obviously totally into her, and wanted to let her explain what she'd been untruthful about rather than believe what Nev and Max told him.
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Of course, when Felicia finally admitted her biggest lie — she doesn't live in New Jersey, she lives in Orlando — it was a little anticlimactic, considering Mike, Nev, and Max had already flown down from New Jersey to Florida. She was also lying about owning a boutique, which seemed like a bigger lie than the Orlando thing, but whatever.
Mike was mostly upset that Felicia had lied to him because he was still hurting after a bad breakup, but here's the biggest issue: Lying was "a bad frikkin' habit," Felicia admitted, but she'd lied even worse in the past. She had hardcore catfished people since she was 14 (as opposed to this milder version), and because these lies were so minor, she didn't seem to understand why Mike was so upset. Uh, probably because lying is crappy? Try not to do it. You might have an easier time interacting with people.
Like many catfishers, Felicia seemed to have a troubled childhood and a difficult relationship with her parents. Catfishing was an escape, but this time things were different — she'd used her real pictures and real personality when she started talking to Mike. Maybe that's why she seemed so hurt when Mike wasn't sure about their relationship after she revealed her lies.
RELATED: 'Catfish': Can Rico and Ja'Mari Move Past the Lies?
This was the season finale, but there were no crazy, scream-at-your-TV-screen moments. Detective Nev and his carpal tunnel brace had pretty much figured everything out before the in-person meeting, and out of all the lies on this show, Felicia's were among the least offensive. MTV had to have saved this episode for last for a good reason, so the only possible outcome was that Mike and Felicia actually got together and are living happy lives. Right?
Right. It was a happy ending after all, though it probably would've been happiest if Felicia hadn't lied at all. But that probably would've been kind of boring, too — aren't the OMG moments part of the reason we all love this show so much?
What did you think of the finale? Meh or interesting? Can you even contain your excitement for the reunion next week?
Follow Jean on Twitter @hijean
[PHOTO CREDIT: MTV]

We're afraid Adam Levine has a long way to go before he's in Justin Timberlake territory. Or maybe it's just that the material he was given when hosting Saturday Night Live on Jan. 26 was particularly subpar. Though he did prove an uncanny Nev Schulman in a parody of Catfish and ably lent his pipes to the latest Lonely Island digital short, when it comes to singing or comedy, we'd have to advise Levine to stick with his day job. From his opening monologue, it was clear what kind of jokes Saturday Night Live was going to insist on giving him: jokes about how handsome he is! Yeah, you can stretch that out over 90 minutes.
Obama and MLK Cold Open
Gotta admire SNL for resisting the urge to do an MSNBC/FoxNews mash-up spoof about the cablers’ totally skewed coverage of the inauguration: “That crowd is so huge!” “That crowd is so small!” Instead they went with something a bit more daring to recognize the beginning of President Obama’s second term. The ghost of Martin Luther King Jr. (Kenan Thompson) came off the mountaintop and down to earth for a chat with Obama (Jay Pharaoh). Turns out he wasn’t here for inspiration, or to pass the torch or anything like that. One guy to another, Dr. King just wanted to talk about how easy on the eyes Beyoncé was at the inauguration and how wished he could tweet from beyond so he could use the hashtag #JayZIsALuckyMan. And, of course, like all of America, living or ghosts, Dr. King was obsessed with Michelle’s bangs: “When she gets those bangs cut, she’ll be like ‘I can see at last! I can see at last! Thank God, I can see at last!” But what about how far African-Americans have come since the good Reverend’s time? Well, yes we do have a black President, but "we’re still waiting on our first black magician." Definitely a creative take on what Obama’s second inauguration means for the country and the legacy of the civil rights movement. It also goes to show that after years of struggling, Lorne Michaels &amp; Co. have totally given up on trying to make Obama funny. Pharaoh’s take on the Commander-in-Chief is completely that of a comedic straight man, with the funny happening around Obama, not because of him.
Adam Levine’s Monologue
Once the elfin Maroon 5 frontman took the stage, the jokes quickly became more obvious. Yes, Adam Levine is handsome. Yes, he’s a judge on a hit NBC singing competition called The Voice. Thank you for reminding us of it. Oh, I’m sorry. They’re not “judges,” they’re “coaches.” Almost immediately, Andy Samberg in a dressing gown pivoted in his swivel chair to offer some comedy coaching to Levine. After all he’s “been in over a hundred digital shorts and three live sketches.” Then for a blonde bombshell wearing a delicately askew miniature top-hat, a bombshell who could properly objectify Levine, Cameron Diaz swiveled around to ask him to take off his shirt. To round out the troika was Jerry Seinfeld! Though, sadly, Seinfeld was really only there to comment on Levine’s status as a Jewish-American heartthrob and to say Newman-style, “Helloooo…Adam.” The monologue ended predictably, with Levine sans shirt.
Rosetta Stone
Those amateur linguists in the commercials for the Rosetta Stone language-instruction programs sure are earnest. Why Rosetta Stone? Because it offers instruction in Thai. Why is learning Thai exciting? Because Thailand is the sex tourism capital of the world! Thus began the obviousness that would dominate the rest of the night.
Advice Show
Obvious comedy is one thing. That’s been a major problem on SNL for years. But Levine’s hosting gig was also marked by some odd gay-baiting jokes. See the overlong parody of a public-access TV advice show, “The Circle,” in which two gay guys (Kenan Thompson and Levine) offer “gay solutions to straight problems.” Levine’s lispy, cockatoo-haired host, who says things like “You’re as gay as a gay goose in a gay pride parade,” was borderline offensive.
Sopranos High
The best post-cold open sketch of the night riffed on The Carrie Diaries and imagined another beloved HBO show getting an ‘80s-set high school prequel treatment: The Sopranos. It’s 1983, so that means Tony Soprano (Bobby Moynihan) wears orange shirts with upturned collars and finds himself puzzled by the presence of Ewoks, or “bear people” as he’d put it, in Return of the Jedi. He’s also still prone to fits of combustible anger, like when the high school librarian tells him to be quiet: “Oh yeah? I’ll give you a book to read! ‘Call me Ishmael,’ you son of a bitch!”
Firehouse Incident
The second gay-baiting sketch of the night featured Bill Hader as a closeted fireman who’s so determined to overcompensate for his sexuality that he explodes at a fellow fireman (Levine) who’s talking to a girl he dated…nine years ago. They dated for two weeks and then he threw hot tea in her face when she tried to kiss him. Worse still, he totally flips out when he learns Don’t Trust the B--- in Apt. 23 is cancelled. “Not the B! That’s bonkers! What? What? You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Shrill and obnoxious.
Digital Short: YOLO
It was only a matter of time until Levine joined Andy Samberg for a Lonely Island digital short. This one was an anthemic pop take on the acronym YOLO, or “You Only Live Once.” But Samberg and Levine read that expression as literally as possible. Rather than live in the moment and embrace the here and now, they live in abject fear of anything even remotely dangerous and their mantra is “There’s no such thing as too much Purell.” The funny thing about hearing Levine’s soaring pipes on the chorus was to realize just how similar in form this kind of pop parody is to the real thing…and especially Levine’s own repertoire. A repertoire much more easily parodied than that of that other Lonely Island mainstay, Justin Timberlake. Samberg’s ongoing digital shorts still deconstruct contemporary pop with startling insight.
Arianna Huffington
By any standard, this was another weak Weekend Update. Following in the wake of those earlier, gay-baiting jokes, now came...women-baiting jokes. Arianna Huffington (Nasim Pedrad) made an appearance and ended up saying stuff like “There’s nothing women like less than other women. There are only two types of women women like: Oprah and women Oprah like.” Really?
Catfish
One remarkably brilliant bit of casting was to have Levine play his semi-doppelganger Nev Schulman from Catfish. “Catfish: The Movie was about me. Catfish: The TV Show is about you. But it’s still really about me.” He helps a woman who’s been in a 10-year online relationship with a man who’s supposedly been placed on a “Do Not Fly” List for being too handsome and lives in the Jetsons’ apartment. Again, pretty obvious. But Levine’s take on Nev—“As always I just woke up and the cameras caught me disheveled and cute”—was pretty genius.
Biden Bash
Come down to the Dover Speedway for Joe Biden’s Biden Bash! He’s gonna play the National Anthem as an electric guitar solo, Hendrix-style. And he’ll compete with you in that classic game, “Can you jump higher than me?” Any opportunity to see Jason Sudeikis play the VP is welcome, but nothing here really felt thought-out.
Adam and Janet
Lately SNL’s final sketches have been better than average. Not so with Levine playing himself. He’s just finished a concert and has gone home to the Yonkers apartment of one of his groupees. Because the only thing funnier than gay- and women-baiting jokes are “ugly women” jokes! Yep, Bobby Moynihan was the groupee and (s)he was given to saying stuff like, “I look like when they dressed up E.T. as an old lady.” Sigh.
Follow Christian Blauvelt on Twitter @Ctblauvelt
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Well, if you were looking to Katie Couric to get the whole truth (and nothing but the truth) on the ongoing mega-saga that is Manti Te'o's fake girlfriendhoax, I'm sorry to say, prepare to be sorely disappointed and increasingly confused. The veteran news reporter scored the first on-camera, sit-down interview with Notre Dame's Manti Te'o earlier in the week, which aired on her syndicated show, Katie, Thursday afternoon on ABC. Sure, a better timeline was constructed, but the web of lies continues to leave those listening flummoxed and highly skeptical about where the real story is — and if we'll ever hear it.
Couric tried her best to serve several hardball questions at Te'o, but his answers only continued to confuse — making the whole thing an even harder mess to understand. But that didn't stop Couric from following up on her skepticism (which at times felt comically vaudevillian in nature). To be fair, it must be hard to keep an unbiased tone in the face of such a red flag-ridden, rambling story.
Dressed in the sort of outfit you'd see high school athletes wear on game day — khaki slacks and a striped cardigan — Te'o's tale unfolded slowly throughout the hour. But instead of giving us answers, he only raised more questions. So we've compiled those questions for you, here.When did former college football quarterback from the Oregon State Beavers, Lyle Moevao, get involved?Te'o explained that the two were friends that talked "through Facebook" — can he be trusted?Was he also duped by Lennay Kekua, or was he in on the hoax with Ronaiah?Does Te'o know that Santa isn't real, either? [SPOILER ALERT]How many and which friends of his confirmed Lennay was real? Were they also in on the hoax?Does Te'o have any friends in real life that aren't on the Internet or in on this hoax?Does Te'o understand why it looks like he's also in on the hoax?How could someone who alleged skepticism from the get-go let a relationship where he never met or spoke to the person via video chat, let this ruse go on for four years?Do we need to require a Common Sense 101 seminar for all college freshman now?How many times did Te'o try to FaceTime with Lennay before he gave up trying?Why would he ever give up trying?When it came to attempting to see Lennay after her accident (when she was allegedly in the hospital) on his way back home to Hawaii, why didn't he just change his plane ticket?Why was he scared to broach the subject with his parents? Why did he think, when they are so clearly understanding and supportive of their son and his relationship, that they wouldn't be OK with him changing his flight to see his girlfriend who just nearly died?Seriously, did he really believe that his parents wouldn't let him come home from school a few hours later in order to briefly visit his girlfriend, who was in a coma, in the hospital when they all knew he supposedly loved her?Does Te'o really know what love is, if he gave up that easily on seeing the love of his life?Does Te'o still not see why this story looks like a total cover-up and complete horses**t?HOW IN THE WORLD did he let her come to Hawaii and get away with not seeing her? Why didn't he just go to the hotel himself?Does Te'o actually know what a respirator sounds like?Why keep a voicemail of a girl giving you s**t for having another girl answer his phone?If there was no possible way this could've happened, why didn't he call Lennay out for being delusional and cut things off there?How is Manti Te'o so understanding of such elaborate stories?Did he ever ask Lennay, after she confessed to being alive but hiding from drug dealers who were after her, why she lied about the cancer?Wouldn't that sort of freak a guy out? Didn't he think how insane that was?Did Te'o ever question her, then, about the sounds of her breathing, the story of the nurses' discussing her heart rate, and that damn respiratory machine?WHY? HOW? WHATDoes Te'o really believe this s**t he's tryin' to sell?Does Te'o realize how scripted the following quote sounds? Is this still all part of some script? "The greatest joy in any child's life is to make your parents proud, and the greatest pain is to know they're experiencing pain because of you."Does Te'o know the term "crocodile tears"?Did Te'o question Lennay as to WHY it took her from December 6 to December 21 to take a f**king web cam photo of her with a sign?Seriously, though. That's like, 15 days.Why even bring up Lennay at all during the Heisman Trophy stuff, when he knew something was amiss? Why not just say "no comment"?How far from gay is "far from it," Te'o?Does Katie Couric believe anything this guy just said?Why didn't Te'o immediately cease all contact with Lennay after she mysteriously returned? Because I'd be all, 'b**ch, peace!'How gullible is Manti Te'o, if this bizarre story is actually somehow real?WHERE THE F**K IS RONAIAH TUIASOSOPO? WHY WON'T HE SPEAK OUT?Why does a college football sensation at arguably one of the most football-obsessed schools in the country have to resort to dating a girl online?Are you sure this isn't just an elaborate bearding scheme for a secret romantic relationship with Tuiasosopo, Te'o? (It's OK, you can level with us!)It sure is an interesting coincidence that Lennay is one letter away from Lenny, don't you think?So what is it, Te'o? Are you gay or are you just dumb and gullible? Out with it.
Miss the Couric interview? Check out the voicemails below and see if you think the voice on the other end could be a guy.
In the end, there are far more questions than there are answers, and it seems to me that we're in for a long, drawn-out speculation over what is real and what isn't in the Te'o story. What do you think is the truth? We want to hear your theories in the comments!
[Photo Credit: ABC]
Additional Reporting by Shaunna Murphy
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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What happens when a man enlists MTV to help him track down his Internet girlfriend, but he's the one who's been lying in the relationship? The story of Rod and Ebony might not have been the most satisfying episode of Catfish, but it was certainly the most thought-provoking.
First things first: This was clearly the first episode Nev and Max filmed. The format wasn't nailed down yet, their research process wasn't as streamlined, and they weren't sure how much they should or shouldn't get involved in the confrontation aside from facilitating the meeting between the couple in the first place. Frankly, all the changes they've made as they finessed their process were all totally necessary, because this week felt like it was missing something.
Second things second: Someone's GIF'd Max and Nev working out in short shorts and tank tops, right? Asking for a friend.
And now to the actual episode: This is the first time our intrepid investigators agreed to help out a person who freely admitted to having deceived their online significant other for four years. (Kya doesn't count, because she'd already told Alyx, a.k.a. Dani, she'd been lying.) Halfway through the hour, Rod revealed that he'd only kept up his relationship Ebony because she was sending him money and paying his phone bills. How were we supposed to root for this guy?
Here's the lie count: Rod had used fake photos and a fake name, while Ebony wasn't actually transgendered (she's just a regular ol' natural-born woman who had dated women for 15 years) and hadn't told him she had a daughter. Although both of them hadn't told the truth, once Rod mentioned the money factor it was really hard to be on his side in the situation.
Max and Nev talked a lot about how they thought Rod was confused about his sexuality (something else they've cut out of subsequent episodes — why were they talking so much smack about their subject behind his back in the first place?) but that really seemed to help in coaxing Ebony to remain his friend. It also allowed her to admit why she'd lied in the first place and why she was giving Rod money — she really did have cancer, she was incredibly lonely in a new city, and she just wanted someone to talk to and to be her friend.
You hear so often about people faking cancer for sympathy from strangers online; who would've thought that she was telling the truth about that part? Maybe that's cynical, but this is a show about Internet liars. Aside from Ebony, who'd lied about the transgender thing, the only other person who's been telling the truth so far was Matt, who'd only hidden the fact that he'd gained a lot of weight over the years.
In the end, Rod and Ebony still talk multiple times a week but it didn't really seem like anything had been resolved as far as Rod's sexuality questions and about why he was catfishing in the first place. Ebony revealed why she'd lied, but why didn't they make Rod confess too? He might've been the one who enlisted Nev and Max's help, but he was just as guilty as Ebony was.
What did you think of Rod and Ebony's story? Did the unrefined format throw you off? Were Max and Nev too easy on Rod? How would you have reacted in Ebony's situation?
Follow Jean on Twitter @hijean
[PHOTO CREDIT: MTV]
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Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o continues to be on the defense following the revelation that his online girlfriend, who supposedly died of leukemia, was a fake. But Te'o, who some claim was an active participant in the hoax, has another opportunity to convince fans of his innocence. The New York Times reports Katie Couric has scored the first on-camera interview with Te'o.
The hoax attracted much interest among sports fans after Deadspin broke the story that Te'o's girlfriend -- who the football player often spoke about publicly -- did not exist, and instead was an online personality likely created by acquaintance of Te'o's. Though Te'o -- who was poised to win the Heisman trophy before news of the hoax broke -- has spoken about being duped online with ESPN, Couric will mark his first non-print interview. "I wasn't faking it," Te'o, who admitted to lying about having met his online girlfriend, told ESPN. "I wasn't part of this ... When [people] hear the facts, they'll know. They'll know that there is no way that I could be part of this.
So will we hear the facts during Couric's interview? The talk show host's sit-down with Te'o and the football player's parents, Brian and Ottillia, will air on Katie Thursday, with excerpts from the interview airing on Good Morning America prior to its debut. The interview marks a big victory for Couric -- the talk show host beat out Oprah Winfrey, who recently landed Lance Armstrong's doping confession. Your move, Maury.
[Image Credit: INFphoto]
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Manti Te'o is sticking to his story. Speaking to ESPN Friday, the Notre Dame football player claims he was indeed catfished, contrary to rumors that Te'o knew his online girlfriend, Lenny Kekua, knew she never existed in the first place.
"I wasn't faking it," he told ESPN. "I wasn't part of this."
Following news that Te'o was duped online by a woman who supposedly died of leukemia in September, many began to speculate that the football player was actively perpetuating the story of Kekua's existence despite knowing she was a personality allegedly made up by Ronaiah Tuiasosopa, a former friend of Teo's.
While the Notre Dame player is claiming he was tricked, he did, however, admit to ESPN that he had lied to his father and the public about having met Kekua prior to her "death." "I knew it was crazy that I was with somebody that I didn't meet," he said. "So I kind of tailored my stories to have people think that, yeah, he met her before she passed away."
So if Te'o wasn't responsible, who was? Te'o agreed with reports that Tuiasosopo was behind Kekua's online profile, and also claimed two others — who have since apologized to him — had created Te'o's fake girlfriend. "When [people] hear the facts, they'll know," he said. "They'll know that there is no way that I could be part of this."
[Image Credit: AP Images]
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Desperate to spark a new pop culture phenomenon in a post-Jersey Shore world, MTV launched Buckwild and Washington Heights — two new reality shows — in late 2012, that followed the (often alcohol-fueled) hijinks of unique groups of young people. But now — thanks to an assist from Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o — Catfish: The TV Show, a dating-related docu-series that makes you squirm-watch through your fingers more than any gory horror movie ever could, has become the breakout hit the network wanted so badly.
Even before Te'o was exposed as a big fat sucker — or a big fat liar, depending on whose story you believe — Catfish had captured a decent-sized but devoted audience who tuned in as Nev Schulman and Max Joseph investigated the online objects of affection of curious Internet daters. Schulman himself had been duped into believing he was talking to a beautiful twentysomething musician by a middle-aged woman in the midwest, and documented the discovery of her lies in the 2010 indie film Catfish.
MTV hired him as an Internet detective of sorts, pairing him up with viewers trying to figure out if the people they'd started online relationships with were really who they said they were. Spoiler: Most of the time, they weren't. It debuted on Nov. 12, 2012 to MTV's highest-ever series premiere ratings in the 11 p.m. time slot, and was renewed for a second season after six hourlong episodes.
Despite positive reviews and solid ratings, the show didn't reach Jersey Shore-level public awareness until Deadspin broke the story that the tragic death of Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o's girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, wasn't quite so tragic, considering she never actually existed. And, considering its respectable premiere ratings, it's a sure bet Catfish will see record numbers following Monday's new episode — after all, not only has the series and Schulman himself enjoyed the status of becoming trending topics after the story broke, but Catfish's Seaside Heights-centered kin was similarly boosted by its position in the news after several Italian-American groups attacked Jersey Shore for stereotyping. But it's impossible to attribute luck for Catfish's future success, even though there's no doubting the series will benefit from the unbelievably coincidental timing of the hoax. Instead, viewers will take Catfish's bait for the same reasons they tuned into the Jersey Shore: Unlike the 4,375th season of The Real World, the show is capturing something authentic — even if the show usually centers around something (or, rather, someone) fake.
Just look at the fascination surrounding the Te'o hoax. After the initial news broke, Twitter and Facebook news feeds were dominated by the story — whether or not you believed Te'o, you could identify with the prospects of getting fooled on the Internet. If Catfish: The TV Show didn't already exist, it certainly would have been greenlit following the response to Te'o's story. And the prospects of Season 2 of Catfish became even more intriguing after we learned of a woman whose photo was allegedly stolen for Kekua's sister's Twitter had contacted Catfish star Schulman in late 2012 to help figure out how she'd gotten involved in the messy web of lies. (Though Schulman initially did not respond to the woman's attempts to connect with him, his recent tweet to Te'o — "I know how you feel. It happened 2 me. I want 2 help tell ur story &amp; prevent this from happening to others in the future. Lets talk" — proves the series' star is eager to center an episode on the hoax.)
How could someone with as high a public profile as Te'o get duped so spectacularly? Or, if he actually was in on the ruse as some bloggers believe, how could a college athlete con newspapers across the country into believing what was ultimately a shoddily put-together hoax? It's simple: The Internet levels the playing field, so to speak. The Te'o scandal hit close to home, sparking the interest of millions of people and bringing the already relevant Catfish into the spotlight in every demo, not just MTV's 18-49 audience. It highlighted just why it works as a show in the first place: It's honest. Not to make too big of a leap, but isn't that why people started watching Jersey Shore in the first place? The first season was almost like a nature documentary in that it seemed like we were watching this group of drunken idiots in their natural habitat. They truly did not realize they were being followed by TV cameras, and the fact that they weren't embarrassed to be caught acting like that was endearing.
While Buckwild and Washington Heights, shows about groups of young people in West Virginia and New York City, are trying to cash in on that Jersey Shore premise, Catfish instead captures that feeling that drew us to Jersey Shore in the beginning: honesty. Isn't that what we're all looking for anyway?
Follow Jean on Twitter @hijean
[PHOTO CREDIT: MTV]
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Title

Summary

A charismatic artist, Nev Schulman became a popular media personality and the face of an Internet-age dating phenomenon for his work on "Catfish. " Born Sept. 26, 1984 in New York City, Yaniv "Nev" Schulman spent much of his childhood studying dance before his interest turned towards photography and filmmaking. He found fame in an unlikely manner, however, when his brother, Ariel Schulman, co-directed a documentary featuring Nev's budding Internet romance with a mysterious young woman. Rather than a straightforward love story, however, the film "Catfish" (2010) told a much more complicated tale, since the object of Schulman's affections turned out to be a middle-aged, married woman faking a younger, more alluring online identity. Although many critics and viewers questioned the authenticity of the project, it caught on so completely that its title became a pop culture catchphrase for the increasingly common trend of people creating false online identities to attract would-be romantic partners. Accordingly, the film spawned the successful reality series "Catfish: The TV Show" (MTV, 2012- ), where Schulman attempted to help other long-distance lovers finally meet in person and uncover any deception. This incarnation also proved popular and was spoofed by "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) with Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine parodying Schulman.